AVAP workers not paid for a year

ANTI-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) workers employed in districts as information officers in the Southern province have not been paid for over 12 months The Zambian Watchdog has learnt.
AVAP workers from districts in the province revealed that they have not received their salaries for over a year now and wondered the kind of democracy, transparency and accountability and good
leadership the organisation’s executive director Bonny Tembo is demanding from President Rupiah Banda.
The source revealed that some district information officers at a meeting held to discuss their plight and the nonpayment of salaries, questioned the credibility of the advocacy the organisation and its
director are doing when it was clear that it had failed to promote good governance by providing for workers.
“You cannot talk about democracy, corruption and the need for responsible leadership in the country when you are failing to look after your people,” the source said.
The workers said Tembo is not different from Members of Parliament who are only seen when there is bye-election.
“Whenever there is a bye-election Mr. Tembo will find funds for himself to monitor those elections but not for salaries, we are owed millions of Kwacha in unpaid salary arrears, some of our friends have even left AVAP. Let the donors check him, let also government check him,” said one of the workers who preferred to remain unanimous.
Bonnie Tembo had his phone switched off when this reporter tried to contact him.